This invention relates to a closure device for an outlet conduit of a container for flowable material.
Problems associated with the obtaining of a controlled flow of liquid from an unvented container having an outlet conduit with a closure device have been considered for many decades. Early examples of attempts to solve these problems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 77,378, of 1868, and U.S. Pat. No. 772,707 of 1904.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,424,101, issued in 1947, describes a valved, slidable discharge tube for use with barrels containing liquids such as oil, gasoline, alcohol, or any type of solvent. The discharge tube is intended to eliminate the need for a vent hole in the barrel. One of the examples of the discharge tube described has a cylindrical hollow body formed of three parts, two of which have the same diameter, and the third having a slightly smaller diameter. One larger diameter part and the smaller diameter part are fixed together end to end, and the other larger diameter part, which is closed at one end by an externally screw-threaded cap, is retained for partial rotation on the smaller diameter part. The barrel is provided with an internally extending outlet conduit in which the discharge tube is slidably mounted. The mouth of the outlet conduit is defined by an internally screw threaded ring set in the wall of the barrel, the internal screw thread receiving the cap of the discharge tube to seal the outlet conduit. The smaller diameter part and the rotatable larger diameter part have respective large side openings which can be brought into register with one another by rotating the rotatable part when the cap has been disengaged from the ring. A partition is secured within the two parts which are fixed together and defines an air passage extending from the outermost portion of the side opening in the smaller diameter part to the opposite side of the open end of the larger part within the barrel. The innermost end of the discharge tube, which is its open end, has an external projection for engaging between axially directed teeth formed at the innermost end of the outlet conduit to ensure that the side opening in the smaller diameter part faces vertically downwards when the discharge tube is pulled out to the discharging position. It is stated that the division of the discharge tube into a lower discharge passage and an upper venting passage is due, not so much to the partition, but principally to the presence of a grid, formed of longitudinal and transverse vanes at the side opening in the smaller diameter part, and to the general construction of the device with a larger diameter, straight and unobstructed form and large side opening.
Other attempts to solve problems in pouring are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,037, issued in 1956, U.S. Pat. No. 2,790,582, issued in 1957, U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,057, issued in 1959, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,508, issued in 1986.
The use of a side opening for liquid, or other coherent flowable material, and an air passage with an outlet port on the opposite side of the closure device from the side opening, can provide a vertically downwards flow from the side opening. However, known closure devices which have an inlet for air which is also on the opposite side of the closure device from the side opening suffer the disadvantage that the contents of the container may spurt out through the air inlet when the container is tilted. Also, a full bottle with such a closure device will tend to leak through the air passage until the atmosphere can communicate with the air space formed in the bottle during a pouring operation, with the result that the liquid contents will run over the outside of the closure device and drip off inconveniently. Furthermore, the direct flow of liquid through the air passage can result in significant glugging, and therefore an erratic stream from the intended liquid outlet, as air attempts to enter the bottle through this outlet. The structure of the discharge tube of U.S. Pat. No. 2,424,101 circumvents the problem of spurting but is complex, formed from many separate parts, and is not suitable for use with bottles.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a closure device for the outlet conduit of a container for coherent flowable material, where, in use, the closure device provides an outlet aperture for coherent flowable material to be poured out of the container, and allows for venting to introduce air into the container to replace coherent flowable material poured out, with the flow of the material being in the form of a stream having a predictable, substantially stable trajectory from the outlet aperture while outflow of the material from the means allowing venting takes place without entailing a separate stream of the material following a different trajectory from the device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a combination of an improved closure device and an insert for the neck of a bottle, the insert being locatable in the neck of the bottle to define therewith an outlet conduit, and the closure device providing an outlet aperture for the contents of the bottle and cooperating with the insert to allow air to enter the bottle to replace contents poured out.
Another object of the invention is to provide a container having an outlet conduit which cooperates with a closure device to provide a venting passageway when the closure device, which includes a side outlet opening, is positioned to allow the coherent flowable material to be poured out through an outlet aperture defined at least in part by the side outlet opening.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combination of an improved closure device and an end-piece for the neck of a bottle or another conduit structure, the end-piece being locatable at the free end of the neck of the bottle or other conduit structure to define an end mouth of an outlet conduit, and the closure device providing an outlet aperture for the contents of the bottle or other container and cooperating with the outlet conduit to allow air to enter the bottle or container to replace contents poured out through the outlet aperture.
The present invention and preferred embodiments thereof are defined in the claims hereinafter to which reference should now be made.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a closure device for a container that includes an outlet conduit with an end mouth, the closure device having a closure end portion, an open end, and a hollow body extending from the closure end portion to the said open end, and the hollow body defining a side outlet opening. The closure device is arranged at least partly within the outlet conduit. The closure device can be set in a closing position in which the closure end portion seals the outlet conduit, and the closure device can be positioned for a pouring operation with the closure end portion spaced away from the end mouth of the outlet conduit so that the side outlet opening or part of the side outlet opening is exposed beyond the end mouth to define an outlet aperture for permitting a coherent flowable material to leave the container through the closure device. The hollow body and the outlet conduit cooperate, when the closure device is positioned for a pouring operation, to define at least part of a venting passageway through which air enters the container when coherent flowable material is poured out through the closure device. The venting passageway has an air outlet port adjacent the open end of the closure device, and an air inlet region adjoining the outlet aperture. The air outlet port is provided at a position which is displaced circumferentially of the hollow body as far as possible from the position of the air inlet region, namely on the opposite side of the hollow body from the outlet aperture. The hollow body and the outlet conduit cooperate, when the closure device is positioned for a pouring operation, to form inner and outer fluid barrier means defining at least the said part of the venting passageway. The outer fluid barrier means extend from the said inlet region to the said outlet port, and define an outer boundary of the said outlet port. During a pouring operation the outer barrier means prevent coherent flowable material in the container from flowing directly between the hollow body and the outlet conduit from the air outlet port except through the venting passageway. The inner fluid barrier means extend from the said inlet region to the said outlet port, and define an inner boundary of the said inlet region. During a pouring operation the inner barrier means prevent coherent flowable material in the container from flowing into the air inlet region except through the venting passageway. The side outlet opening may merge with the open end of the closure device. The hollow body is shaped to set back at least part of the periphery of side outlet opening radially relative to the said end mouth when the closure device is positioned for a pouring operation. The hollow body may include a drip apron between the side outlet opening and an adjacent part of the outlet conduit, the drip apron having a lip for defining the lower edge of the outlet aperture during a pouring operation and a barrier portion shaped and arranged for engaging the interior of the outlet conduit during a pouring operation with the hollow body, including the drip apron, cooperating with the outlet conduit to form a temporary reservoir for collecting drips of coherent flowable material during a pouring operation, and the barrier portion being positioned out of contact with the interior of the outlet conduit when the closure device is in the closing position, whereby coherent flowable material collected in the temporary reservoir is released to the interior of the container. The inlet region of the venting passageway is partitioned from the outlet conduit by the drip apron. The barrier portion of the drip apron forms part of the inner barrier means. Preferably the hollow body and the outlet conduit are adapted to cooperate to locate the closure device in a position for a pouring operation.
The outlet conduit may comprise a neck with a hollow insert located therein and defining the said end mouth. The insert may include inner annular means for cooperating with the hollow body to form the venting passageway. Furthermore, the end mouth of the outlet conduit may be defined by an annular portion of the insert extending axially beyond the position of a radially outwardly directed locating flange of the insert bearing on a rim at the end of the neck, the said annular portion being spaced radially inwardly from the flange by an annular trough formed in the insert.
Alternatively, the outlet conduit may comprise a neck with an end-piece secured thereto and defining the said end mouth. The end-piece may include inner annular means for cooperating with the hollow body to form the venting passageway. Furthermore, the end mouth of the outlet conduit may be defined by an annular portion of the end-piece extending axially beyond the position of a radially inwardly directed locating flange of the end-piece bearing on a rim at the end of the neck.
Whatever the nature of the outlet conduit, it is preferred that the interior of the outlet conduit be provided with annular means for cooperating with the closure device, or present a substantially cylindrical surface of circular cross section. Where annular means are provided, the annular means may include at least one annular recess, and/or at least one annular projection.
In a preferred closure device the hollow body tapers inwardly adjacent to the open end thereof to facilitate initial insertion of the closure device into the outlet conduit.
In some preferred embodiments described hereinafter with reference to the drawings, the hollow body and the outlet conduit cooperate, when the closure device is positioned for a pouring operation, to define at least part of a further venting passageway through which air enters the container when coherent flowable material is poured out through the closure device, the further venting passageway having an air outlet port which is disposed adjacent the open end of the closure device and on the opposite side of the hollow body from the outlet aperture, and an air inlet region adjoining the outlet aperture. The air outlet ports of the passageways are preferably combined to form a common air outlet port.
The respective air inlet regions of the venting passageways may be disposed at opposite sides of the said outlet opening in the circumferential sense of the hollow body, and may each extend in the axial direction of the hollow body from an end of the respective part of the passageway. The said parts of the venting passageways are preferably arcuate and extend around respective diametrically opposite extents of a circumference of the hollow body. The common outlet port may be in the form of a cut out in the hollow body, the cut out merging with the open end of the hollow body.
Where the side outlet opening of the hollow body is separated from the open end of the hollow body by a wall of the hollow body which bounds the said inlet region of the venting passageway when the closure device is in a position for a pouring operation, the said inlet region and the said outlet port may communicate through two branches of the venting passageway, the two branches being disposed at opposite sides of the hollow body. The hollow body and the outlet conduit may cooperate, when the closure device is positioned for a pouring operation, to form inner and outer fluid barriers means, the inner fluid barrier means bounding the inlet region and the two branches of the venting passageway, and the outer fluid barrier means bounding the outlet port and the two branches of the venting passageway.
Preferably the inner and outer fluid barrier means extend circumferentially around the hollow body whereby the two branches of the venting passageway are arcuate, the said wall is set back radially from the inner periphery of the outlet conduit, and the side outlet opening of the hollow body is wholly exposed beyond the end mouth when the closure device is in the position for a pouring operation.
One preferred embodiment of the invention also provides a bottle having an outlet conduit with an end mouth, and a closure device having a closure end portion, an open end, and a hollow body extending from the closure end portion to the said open end. The closure device is adapted to cooperate with the outlet conduit with the device disposed at least partly within the conduit both for closing the outlet conduit and for permitting a coherent flowable material to leave the bottle through the outlet conduit and the closure device. The hollow body defines a side outlet opening. The closure device is settable in a closing position in which the closure end portion seals the outlet conduit and is positionable for a pouring operation with the closure end portion spaced away from the end mouth of the outlet conduit and at least part of the side outlet opening exposed beyond the end mouth to define an outlet aperture for the coherent flowable material from the bottle. The hollow body and the outlet conduit cooperate to define a venting passageway through which air enters the bottle when coherent flowable material is poured out through the outlet aperture. The venting passageway has an inlet region adjoining the outlet aperture and communicating with an outlet port disposed adjacent the open end of the device and on the opposite side of the hollow body from the outlet aperture. The outlet conduit may be provided solely by a neck of the bottle, or by the combination of a neck of the bottle and an end-piece which defines the end mouth.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outlet conduit and the hollow body may be shaped to define therebetween the venting passageway through which air enters the container when coherent flowable material is poured out through the outlet aperture. The hollow body and the outlet conduit are then shaped to cooperate and provide inner and outer barrier means spaced apart along the outlet conduit, the inner barrier means defining an inner boundary of the air inlet region, and the outer barrier means defining an outer boundary of the air outlet port. The outlet port may comprise a cut out at the open end of the hollow body. The closure end portion of the closure device may comprise a cap with an internally screw-threaded skirt, and the container be provided with an external screw thread at the end mouth for cooperation with the screw-threaded skirt when the closure device is in the closing position. The hollow body of the closure device may have a radially outwardly extending flange arranged to serve as a sealing liner within the cap.
Where a drip apron is provided by the hollow body of the closure device between an exposable portion of the side outlet opening and the open end of the hollow body, the drip apron is configured to cooperate with the outlet conduit or neck of the container to form a temporary reservoir for coherent flowable material after a pouring operation when the closure end portion is spaced away from the end mouth, and to release coherent flowable material accumulated in the temporary reservoir to the interior of the container when the closure device is reset in the closing position. The drip apron extends over the or each inlet region of the or each venting passageway, and may extend to the open end of the hollow body.
The barrier means may include an internal flange of the container defining the said end mouth, and at least one external flange provided on the hollow body and arranged to engage with the outlet conduit of the container when the closure device is in a position for a pouring operation.
It should be noted that well known forms of bottle or other container for liquids, sauces, etc. can be provided with or become part of an embodiment with a combination of inventive closure device and an end-piece or a hollow insert, as will be described by way of example hereinafter.